Hardbound, 507 pages, richly illustrated with B/W and colour photos, graphs, 5 separate color maps included in a pocket inside the backcover, and maps of each of the 260 caves described, in English. Published by PenSoft – Sofia-Moscow with the Bulgarian Federation of Speleology & National Museum of Natural History. (2.3 kg)

Order Nr./Best. Nr./Art-N°:

Price: CHF 160.– / 94€ Order this book

This book summarizes knowledge of the caves and cave research in Bulgaria. The first Bulgarian caving society was founded as early as 1929, but the first cave animals, fossils and archaeological artefacts in Bulgarian caves had been found and published even earlier, at the end of the 19th century. Sporting speleology was established much later, since the restoration of organized caving in 1958. By that time, only some 200 caves had been known in Bulgaria, mostly only superficially. Today there are more than 5,100 caves, most of them well-documented. Cave animals are documented from more than 700 Bulgarian caves. Bulgarian cavers have discovered and surveyed 62 caves longer than 1,000 m, as well as 52 potholes deeper than 100 m. Bulgarian caving is currently a well-organized network of caving clubs, with more than 800 members.
This compendium contains concise descriptions of 260 of the most important and spectacular caves and potholes of Bulgaria. An outline is also given of some general subjects like Biospeleology, Speleopalaeontology, Speleoarcheology, Speleomineralogy, Geomorphology and Hydrogeology of Karst, Cave diving, Cave rescue and others. The book contains data on various aspects of research carried out by Bulgarian cavers all over the world, as well as biographical information about many Bulgarian cavers and cave scientists. The publication is richly illustrated by numerous colour pictures, graphs and maps.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Foreword
Acknowledgements
Historical Review of Bulgarian Speleology
Education of Cavers
Cave Rescue in Bulgaria
International Connections of Bulgarian Speleologists
Activities of Bulgarian Speleologists in Exploring the Caves and the Karst of the World
Scientific Exploration of Bulgarian Caves
Plant and Animal Life in Bulgarian Caves
Cave Flora
Cave Fauna
Archaeological Research in Bulgarian Caves
Palaeontological Research in Bulgarian Caves
Cave Minerals in Bulgaria
Hydrogeological, Hydrological and Hydrochemical Research in Bulgarian Caves
Geomorphological and Geophysical Research in Bulgarian Caves
Physiological and Psychological Research in Bulgarian Caves
Climatological Research in Bulgarian Caves
Cave Diving in Bulgaria
Cave and Karst Protection in Bulgaria
Karst and Caves in Bulgaria
The Longest Caves and the Deepest Cave Systems in Bulgaria
Caves and Potholes Included in This Book
Some Remarkable Bulgarian Caves
Caves in the Danube Plain
Caves in Stara Planina and the Predbalkan
Caves in Pirin
Caves in the Transitional Region
Caves in the Rhodopes
Who is Who in Bulgarian Speleology
Selected Literature on the Karst and Caves in Bulgaria